29 Jun Community and Beer: Events, Organizations, and Places

It’s Victoria here, your friendly, neighbourhood Muskoka Brewery Community Beer Representative. There’s nothing I love more than getting to know my community through the magic of beer. Drinking beer is much better with pals, am I right? Don’t get me wrong, having a short can of Detour is perfectly enjoyable by yourself, but take it from me, when you find a way to share a great beer with your community, it makes your beer journey that much better. We’ve sat by the campfire and made a list of events, people, and places to experience the beer community this summer, so grab some friends, pack the car, and get ready to take a detour.

If there’s any weekend to make the scenic trip up Highway 11 to Bracebridge to come see Muskoka Brewery (and our new Tap Room), it’s this one. On August 5th, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., join us and lots of other amazing breweries at Annie Williams Park for some good times, Bracebridge-style. While you’re there, grab yourself a RUFF Draught, our collaboration beer with Born Ruffians that won people’s choice last year and will be sold at the LCBO this July.

Mark August 11th-13th on your calendars, Toronto (or add it as an appointment in your Outlook calendar, whichever tickles your fancy). This festival is hosted by our pals at Steam Whistle Brewing in the dreamy Roundhouse Park and is bustling with food trucks, amazing Ontario craft breweries, and a special Canada 150 beer pavilion with breweries from across Canada. The Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival is so awesome, this year they decided to add in one more day of beer-filled fun. Get your tickets and be sure to say hi to Steamy from us.

Wait, I can see Sloan and Said the Whale perform whilst simultaneously drinking some of the best craft beer that Hamilton and Ontario have to offer? Sounds like my kind of road trip! From July 14-15th at the Pier 4 park in Hamilton, enjoy live music, amazing food, and great beer from across the province. This festival is not one to be missed, that’s for sure!

Creating livable, workable and playable communities is no easy feat, but Evergreen Canada connects people to their ecosystems seamlessly across Ontario without breaking a sweat. Whether it’s collaborating on community programming, or working with water conservation groups through the Muskoka Brewery Fresh Water Grants Initiative, Evergreen Canada shows how impactful it is to venture off the beaten path. Evergreen Brick Works is a truly magical space, nestled in Toronto’s Don Valley. This community hub is not only an innovative and sustainable space, but one that supports local craft breweries! Stop in and see the Sipping Container, which, you guessed it, is a converted shipping container that serves beer throughout markets at Evergreen Brickworks. There are also several annual festivals in their space such as the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies Bevy Brew-fests, Cask Days, and many more. Raise a pint with us and the Evergreen team for a night of food, fun and flannel on October 14th at the Feast ON BBQ!

All types of exercising are better when you reward yourself with a beer after, I’m pretty sure that’s just science. RunTOBeer is a community of over 1000 strong, that regularly hold 5-10km runs throughout Toronto (and sometimes beyond), all of which end up at a nearby craft beer bar for celebratory post-run pints. If you were looking for an excuse to buy those snazzy new sneakers you saw on Amazon the other day, look no further! Join Dan Grant and the rest of his excellent crew as we run across Toronto throughout the Venture Off The Beaten Path running series this summer – our next stop is at Prohibition at Yonge & Eglinton on July 11th.

Not only is our Events Team the bomb, they are the folks responsible for bringing Muskoka Brewery to you at every beer festival, event or party where our beer is poured across Ontario. Whether it’s Jack, Adam, Rory, Vanessa or Tim, they’re always happy to see you, and they can kick start your beer journey by finding you the perfect beer from our all-star lineup. Or, they’ll pour you an old favourite! I’ve seen Tim single-handedly fix a broken draught unit while simultaneously saving a cat* that was stuck in a tree, and Rory, Jack and Adam are the fastest truck-loaders in the North (see tweet for proof). Meanwhile, it’s hard to find someone with a better Untappd score than Vanessa. I could go on for days, but seriously, the Events Team is a huge part of connecting Muskoka Brewery to the greater craft beer community and we are so lucky to have them!

*The cat was me. I got stuck in a tree.

PLACES

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

Prince Edward County, or PEC if you’re an acronym aficionado, brings major Muskoka vibes to Eastern Ontario. I mean, there’s a Provincial Park at your fingertips here, it’s definitely worth the road trip. While you’re there, you can enjoy some great beer at spots like The County Canteen, where you can find Muskoka Brewery alongside a stellar draught lineup of over 20 taps. Or head over to The Agrarian for an incredible menu packed with local produce, dairy, beer and wine. PEC is a destination spot that brings community, craft beer, and culture together, and we have a gigantic regional crush on them.

MUSKOKA

Have I mentioned that we just renovated our tap room at the brewery? Okay yes, I did, but that should just tell you how proud and excited we are to show it off. So take the road trip already! Bracebridge is not only home to our brewery, but awesome pubs like Kelly’s Kitchen Pub where you can often find live music to enjoy over a pint of Cream Ale. There’s also local artisans and businesses popping up around every corner. I highly recommend stopping into the amazing Muskoka Roastery, where they roast the coffee we use in our Shinnicked Stout. But seriously, our team at the brewery really wants to say hi to you! Be sure to stop in for a brewery tour, and tell them Victoria sent you.

LITTLE ITALY

Toronto is an intimidating city; it’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed, and it can sometimes be difficult to slow down and find that community connection. If you feel like venturing off the beaten path next time you’re in Toronto, Little Italy is an amazing spot to go to find that mom-n-pop feeling and connect to the city. There are tons of amazing and authentic restaurants, as well as thriving local businesses filled with passionate people who love their neighbourhood.

In short, we’ve come to realize that the beer world goes beyond just the beer; it has a really special way of connecting you to the people who brew and package it, as well as the places that go along with it. Have any more places, people, or events to add to this list? We’d love to hear about them, send us a tweet @MuskokaBrewery to spread the community connection and beer love!